Resilient hatrack



Jan. 16, 1951 D. F. EFNER 2,538,237

RESILIENT HATRACK Filed June 2, 1947 DEAN F EFW Efi INVENTOR.

ATTORN E Y5 Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BESILIENTHATRACK Dean F. Efner, Seattle, Wash. Application June 2, 1947, SerialNo. 751,828

1 Claim.

My present invention relates generally to the art of storage racks orsupporting devices, and more particularly to a resilient hat rack.

The more general use of the closed car, of a sedan or coup type, ismaking it more and more unnecessary for the person in such a car to beinconvenienced by wearing his hat. Normally, such cars are well heatedand ventilated so that in effect, the same living conditions that wouldprevail in an oifce or at home are present, and under such conditionsthe averagevpassenger in a modern automobile will usually prefer to takeoff his hat, and then he is confronted with a storage problem. I

It is to overcome the deficiencies of many types of storage racks notedto date that I have provided my resilient hat rack. This rack is soarranged that it can be quickly put in the desired place of use, orremoved from that point. Further, it is of such shape and resilientconstruction that it can be easily stored without damage.

The principal object of my present invention, therefore, is toprovide ahat storage rack that can be placed on the inside lining of a sedan orcoup type of automobile during the time that it is desired to use thesame.

A further object of my present invention is to provide means that willresiliently hold the rack in the desired position by stretching thesupporting material away from a central point.

A further object of my present invention is to provide a resilient hatstorage rack that, because of its easily conformable structure, can bemade to fit a wide variety of bat types and sizes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hat storage rack thatcan be quickly installed and just as quickly taken out of its positionof use for storage in some other more convenient place.

A further object of my invention is to provide a Wire form of temperedmaterial so that, in

storage, it may be placed in an out-of-way loca tion, and pressure ofother items against it will not permanently deform it or render it unfitfor further use.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from thedescription and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended orare inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my resilient hat rack.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the interior of aclosed car bodywith my rack in place and with a gentlemans hat stored in said rack,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the lining of an automobilebody top showing the manner of using my hat rack. Referring moreparticularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the numeral [0designates the 'U-shaped portion of my hat rack. This should beproportioned with a distance between the parallel side bars l2 and i4,so that it will normally accommodate the largest of the hat sizesintended for use with the rack. Side bars l2 and 14 are joinedby thecurved connecting base I which, preferably, is semi-circular. At theiropposite ends, legs l2 and M are provided with a rather sharp bend, asat 18 and 20, and from these points the wire is continued atsubstantially a right angle to the legs to form the loop portions 22 and23. Disposed between bends l8 and 20 and loop portions 22 and 23 arestraight rest portions l9 and 24. The loop portions terminate in thepointed securing hook members 25 and 26. For the most satisfactory use,it has been found that if the lower legs of the loop portion as 28 and30 lie at a reasonable height above the plane of the side bars l2 andI4, there will be a minimum of interference with the hat brim. Further,if the upper loop portions as 32 and 34 are substantially parallel inthe vertical plane above legs 28 and 30, the brim of the hat can liewithin the open loop portions and thus be least interfered with orcreased. It has further been found desirable to have the upper engaginghook portions 25 and 26 also lie in the vertical plane of members 28 and32, 30 and 34 respectively.

At the center of the connecting bend it, I provide a third loop member40. This has a lower leg member 42, an upper leg portion 44 forming aloop portion, and the engaging hook 46, all fashioned in keeping withthe structure of the other two hooks and loops, wherein the hookengaging member 46, legs 42 and 44 all lie in a plane normal to theplane established by legs 12 and M. It is to be noted that the lower leg42 is raised by the bend at 38, so that legs 42, 28 and 30 all lie belowthe plane established by side bars I2, 84 and curve [6, and aresimilarly disposed, angularly, with that plane. Similarly engaging hooks25, 26 and 46 all lie in a plane parallel to the plane of side bars [2and I4 and above it. A straight spacing or rest portion 4'! connectsbends i6 and 38 and functions similarly to portions l9 and 24 inproviding a spacing member for the hooks and a rest for the hat brim toslide or rest The use of my hat carrier or rack is probably bestillustrated in Fig. 2 and normally the easiest way to determine the mostsatisfactory position is for the prospective user to take off his hatand place it conveniently with the brim against the inner linin of thecar top. This will establish a position where he can easily replace hishat or secure it. With the location thus established, the central hook40 is first inserted into the fabric of the car-top lining with theengaging portion 46 hidden above the surface of the fabric lining.

With the hat rack temporarily positioned by the engagement of hook 40,side members l2 and I 4 are then brought together slightly, and the hookengaging portions 25 and 26 likewise engaged in the fabric lining of thecar top. When pressure i then released, it will be noted that each ofthe three hooks are mutually cooperative in insuring the lastingpositioning of the rack,

gaging portions 25, 26 and 46 were to be reversed and the car-liningfabric placed in tension over the entire ceiling of the car, there wouldbe considerable stretch in the lon runs of material, and folds andpuckering would occur at the point where the rack is put in place. Allthis is ob- *Viated by the reversing of the hooks and by localizing thestretch to the relatively short span between the three attaching hooks.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the abovedescription and the disclosure in :the drawings that the inventioncomprehends a novel construction of a resilient hat rack.

' Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

' A hat rack for attachment to a fabric covering surface, comprising: afirst and a second re- "silient single wire forming said hat rack; saidfirst wire having a large U-shaped portion with a base and two legs;said second wire and a portion of said first wire at the free end ofeach leg being all similarly shaped and having a substantially straightrest portion extending out wardly from and in the plane of said U-shapedportion, a loop portion connecting with said rest portion at a smalldownward angle to said rest portion, providing means whereby saidU-shaped portion and said rest portions have a slight clamping action onthe brim of a hat between said portions and the attaching surface, withthe upper portion of the loop lyin in a plane which is parallel andclose to the plane of said U-shaped portion, and a hook portionconnecting with said loop portion, the hook and loop portions beingcurved oppositely. the rest hook and loop portions lying substantiallyin a common plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of saidU-shaped portion, said hook portions each having a substantiallystraight pointed end which is directed outwardly with respect to saidU-shaped portion and lies in a plane substantially parallel and close tothe plane of said U-shaped portion, said rest portion at the free end ofeach leg connecting at substantially right angles to said leg, said restportion of said second wire being secured to said U-shaped portion atapproximately the mid point of said base and lying on a lineapproximately bisecting said U-shaped portion.

DEAN F. EFNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

